George Arthur Boeckling (February 2, 1862 – July 24, 1931) was an American businessman who served as the

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of “Cedar Point Pleasure Resort Company of Indiana”, which later became

Cedar Fair Entertainment Company Cedar Fair, L.P., formally Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, is a publicly traded master limited partnership headquartered at its Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. The company owns and operates eleven amusement parks, nine included-w ...

. He is often credited for bringing

Cedar Point Cedar Point is a amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Opened in 1870, it is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the U.S. behind Lake Compounce. Cedar Point is owned and op ...

out of financial difficulties at the turn of the 20th century, and making it a nationally recognized amusement park and resort destination. G.A. Boeckling was born to German immigrants in Indiana in 1862. In 1897, he became part-owner and general-manager of the newly re-organized Cedar Point Pleasure Resort Company (originally established a decade prior, in 1887, and first opened in 1888, according to numerous contemporaneous sources, 1887-1897). Under Boeckling’s leadership, Cedar Point resort was transformed from a summer picnic/swimming area to a thriving amusement park with wide appeal. In 1908, the steamer ''G.A. Boeckling'' began providing local transportation between the city of Sandusky and Cedar Point. Thousands of visitors also arrived at Cedar Point on the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

and Lake Shore Electric Railway.

An administration building was constructed by the pier in 1928. Known as the Boeckling Building, it features arches, a

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, from ...

, and other ornamental features. G.A. Boeckling was very public-spirited, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Elks Lodge, Aerie of Eagles, and was charitable to local churches, veterans organizations, and youth clubs of Sandusky. In 1922 the ''

Sandusky Register The ''Sandusky Register'' is a daily newspaper serving Sandusky, Ohio, as well as nearby Port Clinton and the Lake Erie Islands (collectively known regionally as Vacationland). History The ''Sandusky Register'' has been in production since 18 ...

'' called him "the man who made Cedar Point."

George A. Boeckling died from

uremia Uremia is the term for high levels of urea in the blood. Urea is one of the primary components of urine. It can be defined as an excess of amino acid and protein metabolism end products, such as urea and creatinine, in the blood that would be nor ...

on July 24, 1931, and is buried at Oakland Cemetery. The ''G.A. Boeckling'' steamship, Boeckling Home, and Boeckling Building are all listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. The

Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad The Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad is a narrow-gauge heritage railroad and amusement park attraction located in the Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. The railroad opened in 1963, making it one of the oldest operating rides at Ce ...

had a locomotive named the G.A. Boeckling built in July 1927 by the Davenport Locomotive Works.

References

External links

Cedar Point Historygravesite of G.A.Boeckling
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boeckling, George Arthur 1862 births 1931 deaths Cedar Point American amusement park businesspeople

See also

References

External links